Karma

Yesterday, James Shields the fielder was on the receiving end of James Shields the pitcher, but only after the pitcher tried to do in one of his outfielders, again.

In the top of the second inning against Cleveland, Shields left a ball out over the plate that Carlos Santana drove to deep right-center field.  White Sox center fielder Adam Engel did what he does best (Hint: unfortunately, it doesn’t involve hitting the ball) and set off to make yet another great catch, but the fence got in the way and sent Engel sprawling onto the warning track.  Not that the intrepid Engel—or as a number of fans including Clare tweeted, “An Engel in the outfield”—was done, what with Shields on the mound.

Three innings later, the Indians’ Austin Jackson lined a ball to dead center.  Engel, who plays as shallow a center field as I’ve ever seen—was off and running.  Without missing a beat, he leaped at the fence, caught the ball and reacquainted himself with the warning track.  Lying flat on his back, Engel still managed to hold up his glove, the ball safely inside.

Too bad for Shields he couldn’t have pulled off a play as good in the seventh inning, when Cleveland rookie Francisco Mejia lined a ball up the middle.  Shields had no time to react as the ball hit him in the right knee.  He’s listed as day-to-day.  Heaven forbid he miss a start.

But at least now James Shields knows what it’s like to be a fielder when he’s pitching.